Please print this, I wrote a review 12/29/99 and I don't see it in print: I read this book in Junior High School in December of 1965 ( so I guess "Archimedes was born in 287 BC in Syracuse, a little island off Sicily was given this unusual name by his family who thought it would be good. As he grew he was most thoughtful of the things around him and learned to face many problems and difficlties. He solved these problems by doing things as not much was known at that time. he was able to move a boat for King Hiero to his astonishment as he didn't actually believe that Archimedes would be successful in this endeavour. Of course, today we all know these principles, but Archimedes used the idea of pulleys and levers and was able to move the boat. We also are aware of the well known phrase "EUREKA", of course, if you are Gree, you know that it is truly To EVREEKA, which means, "I've found it!", when he displaced the water in his bathtub to measure the volume of gold to see if the goldsmith was cheating the king out of the amount of gold in his crown. This is the report I wrote on this book all those years ago in Junior High and I think I would again like to reread this book and review it now as an adult. Thanks for listening to my childhood view of this book, and thanks for printing this AMAZON.com.

I just got done reading this aloud to my homeschooled 6th grade twins. What a treasure! The author weaves together mathematical and scientific principles into a delightful story format. My kids had no trouble understanding the well-illustrated concepts.

We used this book in our unit study on Ancient Greece. It just so happened, that during the reading, our Science lesson was on the six simple machines, a few of which Archimedes was the founder! As if all this isn't enough, my children took away with them an interesting outlook. We take the principles such as the center of gravity, buoyancy, pi, exponents, all that we know about geometry, etc. for granted. It's so much a part of our lives. This book helped us to imagine a time when these concepts were yet to be uncovered, an exciting time in the development of applied science and technology. It also helped us see Archimedes as a real man, and not just another boring scientist to learn about.

Even though my kids are homeschooled, they moan and groan about their work just like any other kids. This book was still able to capture them. It was a great selection that complemented our studies very well, and was a good investment of time and money.

Not only is this book an educational and interesting read, it also inspires investigation into Archimedian principles and inventions. The drawings illustrate these scientific principles clearly. Our favorite part is when Archimedes finally makes a break through with displacement and density and runs through the streets stark naked shouting, "Eureka!"

This book was a fun and informative read. The author, Jeanne Bendick, included much about the times and way of life. She clearly explains and illustrates the thoughts of the day about the universe as well as the differences between the thinking of the ancient Greeks and Galileo, who did not blindly accept the ancient teachings.

The middle to upper elementary student will gain insight into science, other famous astronomers/scientists from that era, geography, and history through this book. Each chapter concludes with a quote from Galileo that is perfect for copy work.